Faith Lost
by musouka
Summary: A look at how the Kaizer might break someone down, only to discover he's left himself open in the process. Kenjyou. Yes, you read that right, Ken and Jyou. Together. Romantically.
1. Prologue

faithlost

> A completely and utterly AU fic that is an alternate version of episode 5 of 02. It's a Kaijyou (Kaizer x Jyou), and it's something I've wanted to do for quite a while, but I haven't been able to think of an actually decent and fairly realistic plot, until now…I hope. ^_^;; 
> 
> Warnings -- Ken is quite a bastard in this…at least in the beginning. I'm sorry, but I can't seem to just have evil characters. I always get bogged down in motivations…and, well, I'm rambling. 
> 
> This is just a prologue...there's more on the way, if there's any interest, that is. 
>
>> **Faith Lost**
>> 
>> _Prologue_
>> 
>>   
  

>> 
>> "Please…let him go…" 
>> 
>> The older boy actually looked pained at seeing his younger companion struggle, the Kaizer's firmly coiled whip tightened slightly around his slender neck. Usually, Ken wouldn't feel the need to debase himself by taking a hostage, but the opportunity had presented itself, and the temptation was too great to resist. He was _sick_ of being one-upped but these stupid brats… 
>> 
>> Although…actually, this one looked older than his average enemies. A friend of theirs, no doubt. Perhaps it was time to teach them that vacationing in the Digital World wasn't exactly advisable…it could be detrimental to one's health. 
>> 
>> "And why should I?" He asked, his voice smooth and almost sweetly tart. _Come now_, he half sneered, _this is the part where you offer yourself in his place_. He knew these types, and the boy on the stretch of grass below him certainly had that look in his eyes, a sort of glint that let you know that they would risk anything to protect those in their care. 
>> 
>> The Kaizer toyed with the idea of refusing the offer when it came…the look on the other's face would be so sweet…but, no. The boy beneath him was already sobbing with fear; he wouldn't last long. An all-too-easily-broken toy. The other one looked to be made of sterner stuff. 
>> 
>> It was a rather odd thought, when one considered it. To most, Jyou had an almost delicate look to him, or as someone might unkindly put it: "Blow on him and you'd knock him down." He certainly didn't look like the kind that could take care of oneself when it came to a fistfight…nor did it look like he could withstand most any kind of physical discomfort. 
>> 
>> But that wasn't what the Kaizer was searching for. 
>> 
>> The thing that had tipped Ken off that this boy might be an ideal subject was the calm way he regarded the Kaizer. There was a knowing expression to his face, a gaze that spoke of a willingness to do anything to get the younger boy out of the other's hands, even if it meant throwing himself at the Kaizer in a suicide run. 
>> 
>> It was almost frightening. 
>> 
>> It was intriguing. 
>> 
>> _Come on,_ Ken silently urged. 
>> 
>> "If you let him go…" 
>> 
>> Ken smirked knowingly. 
>> 
>> "If you let him go…I'll go in his place." 
>> 
>> _Now the fun begins._
>> 
>> "Name me one good reason why I should want you instead." He purred, his tone a silky danger. 
>> 
>> Here was the real test. It all hinged on this response. 
>> 
>> After all, one had to test a toy before they knew how much fun it would be to play with. 
>> 
>> It was a long time before the other boy spoke, almost as if he was gauging what the Kaizer had said in his head. Still that deadly calm hadn't left him, and for some odd reason it irked Ken. A victim shouldn't be this quiet, assured… Perhaps if the boy who called himself the Digimon Kaizer had known it was one of the older boy's quirks, he would have been mollified. 
>> 
>> But all that would come later. 
>> 
>> Right now… 
>> 
>> The boy spoke. 
>> 
>> "Because I'm offering." 
>> 
>> And, surprisingly enough, Ken found himself nodding. 
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> Ken unwound his whip from the younger boy's neck and motioned to the older. The two boys' digimon stood in readiness, waiting to pounce at moment's command. Jyou stopped them with a wave of his hand. 
>> 
>> Iori massaged the raw place where the leather had rubbed against his skin, and gulped at the air flooding into his lungs. He was still in shock; his hands trembled. Dimly, he heard voices through the haze. Then someone was talking to him. 
>> 
>> "Nigero, Iori-kun." Quiet, but with an edge to it. _Run._ "Take care of them, Gomamon!" 
>> 
>> "That's not necessary." The Digimon Kaizer said. "A deal's a deal, right?" Tense silence was his only reply. 
>> 
>> And to Iori's everlasting shame, he found himself following Jyou's terse command, running away with the other two digimon at his heels. What else could he have done? 
>> 
>> _Anything was better than nothing,_ he would later tell himself. 
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> Ken restrained the other boy's hands before calling his mount. Wormmon gazed up at him with that pain-filled gaze, speaking volumes without making a sound; not even his usual "Ken-chan". He ignored his better half, as always. 
>> 
>> The one right next to him, and the one screaming deep inside. 
>> 
>> He shoved that tiny dissenting voice into a tiny corner, where it belonged. The rest of him was too caught up in his plans. 
>> 
>> He wondered what it would be like to utterly break a person down...   

>> 
>>   

>> 
>> _tsuzuku_


	2. Part One

faithlost01

> This looks like it's shaping up to be a four parter, minna-sama...interesting interplay between Jyou and the Kaizer in this one...

  
**Faith Lost**

_Part One_

  


> > Jyou awoke to darkness and silk. Glancing around at his surroundings, he realized that he was stretched out on a humongous bed. There was an almost phosphorous glow surrounding the pure white bed sheets, making the surrounding darkness of the room seem endless, as if he was forever lost in some formless void. 
>> 
>> "Good morning." A darkly teasing voice caressed his ears. For one frightening moment, Jyou half thought the other boy was laying beside him, until he figured out the voice was coming from somewhere else…out of the very walls, it seemed. Now he was assaulted by biting laughter. 
>> 
>> "What…is this place?" Jyou choked out through a sudden dryness in his throat. 
>> 
>> "Your room." The Kaizer chuckled at the other boy's bewildered expression from his control room several stories away. "Were you expecting a dungeon cell?" 
>> 
>> "Yes." Jyou found himself responding with a coolness he certainly didn't feel inwardly. He wondered if the room was designed purposely to be so unnerving, and immediately decided it was a likely probability, given his captor. His warden was speaking, Jyou realized dimly, jerking his attention away from the surroundings. 
>> 
>> "Let's review your situation." There was a sharp edge to the Kaizer's voice, and Jyou instantly understood another thing about this boy: the Kaizer was used to his captives reacting with fear, anger –anything but calm acceptance. 
>> 
>> Whereas Jyou couldn't seem to make himself react any other way. 
>> 
>> This was not looking good. 
>> 
>> "You have free range of my fortress," Jyou could hear the other boy's smirk. "Except for the locked doors." _Obviously._
>> 
>> "I thought I was your prisoner." Jyou said to the voice in the air. 
>> 
>> "How uncouth." Amusement, bitterly dark. "I much prefer the term 'guest'." 
>> 
>> A pause, giving Jyou time to digest his current circumstances. 
>> 
>> "You will be given food and water. But…in exchange…" 
>> 
>> "Yes." Jyou wished his jailer had less of a flair for the dramatic, and more of a way of getting to the point. 
>> 
>> "I expect information. If you withhold information, then I withhold your food." 
>> 
>> "I'm not going to betray my friends." Again, a calm promise, rather than a passionate exclamation. This boy was interesting…now, if only he had displayed a bit more wit… 
>> 
>> It was a long time before the laughter in the air died. 
>> 
>> _I'm glad **someone** finds the situation amusing._ Jyou thought darkly. 
>> 
>> "_Spare me_. If this exchange gets any more cliché, I'll be explaining my master plans to you and boasting that I have a device that can blow up the world." 
>> 
>> Silence. 
>> 
>> "I don't care about your little friends. They're _nothing_ to me. I want to know about you. Personal information, that's all." 
>> 
>> Two hours later, the questioning started. 
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> "Tell me about your family." 
>> 
>> "My family?" 
>> 
>> "Yes, your family. Are your ears as bad as your eyes?" 
>> 
>> Something mumbled into the silken bedcovers. 
>> 
>> "I'm sorry; I didn't quite catch that." Mocking and harsh, and with the air of someone who's enjoying themselves immensely. 
>> 
>> "I said, 'You're not much of a host to your 'guests'.' Then again, I doubt you get that many visitors with your manners." 
>> 
>> In the inky shadows of the control room, the Kaizer's lips upturned in a slight grin. A fascinating development; it appeared this one did have a bit of a spine after all. Not many would respond to an insult from the Kaizer with one in kind. 
>> 
>> "Do you have any siblings?" 
>> 
>> A long pause before a reply. 
>> 
>> "Two older brothers." 
>> 
>> "That doesn't tell me very much. Elaborate. What about your parents?" 
>> 
>> "Well, my oldest brother is a doctor. Or, actually, he's finishing up his last year of internship at the hospital. My other brother is currently studying in Kyoto with his professor. My father is a doctor at the same hospital my oldest brother is interning in. My mother is dead." It was strange talking to someone he couldn't see, almost as if he was holding a conversation with himself. 
>> 
>> The sensation was unnerving. 
>> 
>> "Do your older brothers tease you?" 
>> 
>> "Sometimes. Don't all older brothers?" 
>> 
>> "The house must be lonely, with your middle brother being out of town, and the other members of your family working at the hospital. Don't doctors keep long hours?" 
>> 
>> "Yes, that is a fairly common trait." 
>> 
>> "Do you sit down to dinner as a family?" 
>> 
>> "When we're all there, yes." 
>> 
>> "I take it by your tone of voice that's not a common occurrence." 
>> 
>> "You said it yourself, doctors keep long hours." 
>> 
>> "No, I asked you. You said it." 
>> 
>> "Would you like to argue about it?" 
>> 
>> "Perhaps sometime later…" There was almost a tinge of real amusement in the other boy's tone. For one scant second it felt as if Jyou was having a conversation with a friend, rather than someone who was keeping him hostage. 
>> 
>> "I have one more question." 
>> 
>> "What is it?" 
>> 
>> "Do you think anyone will notice you're gone tonight?" 
>> 
>> A deadly silent jab to the heart, it came so quickly that Jyou didn't even have time to flinch. 
>> 
>> _Will anyone notice you're gone tonight?_
>> 
>> His father usually didn't make it home until sometimes two in the morning, considering the commute to the hospital. And his older brother left at the same time his father did. Even with juku, Jyou would come back to a house that curled around him like a clammy wet blanket, chilling him with emptiness. Dinner was often a bowl of instant noodles, or what ever he could find in the refrigerator. The television's company was harsh and tinny, with forced laughter and exuberant voices echoing ghostlike through the apartment. 
>> 
>> Once he had stayed up silently in his room, unable to sleep. He wondered if his family ever checked on him when they got home, just to make sure he was there. The door to the apartment had opened. Heavy footsteps down the hall. Neither of them paused at his room. 
>> 
>> And he had felt as phantasmal as those voices from the television set. 
>> 
>> "No…" Jyou finally replied to the darkness. _They won't notice I'm gone tonight…_
>> 
>> _Will anyone notice you're gone tonight?_
>> 
>> This room felt like a tomb. 
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> "It's all my fault!" Before the younger boy could collapse into tears again, Takeru moved to comfort him. 
>> 
>> "It's okay…" Takeru murmured soothingly, unknowingly a mirror image from a time long ago, when his brother was there to soothe him. "It's not your fault." 
>> 
>> "There was nothing you could have done, Iori-kun." Hikari, moving to rub the boy's back consolingly. 
>> 
>> Not one of them spoke, but they were all wondering… 
>> 
>> Somehow, the situation seemed out of their hands. In the Digital World, they were heroes; they had control over the situation. But like the clothes they gained and shed in their coming and going, so did they lose their power when they came back to their world. They became children once more, bound by the rules of their elders. With those rules came a feeling of helplessness. 
>> 
>> What could they do? 
>> 
>> Who was going to tell Jyou's family? 
>> 
>> What were they going to say? 
>> 
>> Not one of them spoke, but they all were wondering… 
>> 
>> And finally, they said the only thing they could. 
>> 
>> Nothing. 
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> "I'd like you to dine with me tonight." The dark voice from the cool atmosphere around him, it floated around him, stroking his ears. 
>> 
>> "Hmmm, I don't suppose I have a real choice." 
>> 
>> "You were the one who said I should be more hospitable to my guests." 
>> 
>> "Did I? I thought I merely drew it to your attention." Light, almost mocking. _Touché_, Ken thought, recalling his earlier words. 
>> 
>> "Perhaps we should both pay more attention to what we say." 
>> 
>> "Perhaps we should…" 
>> 
>> There was a sound, almost like a glass breaking. And harsh angry breathing filled the air. 
>> 
>> "Don't presume to try and play a game when you have no understanding of its rules!" 
>> 
>> "Is this a game? I wasn't aware I was in any position to be a player. Perhaps you're only playing with your own shadow…" 
>> 
>> Ken didn't like this little development one bit. He had to regain control. Certainly he wasn't expecting his opponent to wrest it from him so easily. _Opponent?_ He banished the thought from his mind. This was an insect, a _bug_ to be crushed at his will, and his will alone! 
>> 
>> "Why would I need to play with shadows when I have an excellent little toy right here in front of me?" _There, just right._ The perfect blend of lightness with sinister overtones. The effect was unmistakable. 
>> 
>> Dead silence.   
  
  
__
>> 
>> _tsuzuku_


	3. Part Two

Faith Lost – Part Two

>   

>
>> **** ****
>> 
>> **Faith Lost – Part Two**   

>> 
>>   

>> 
>>   

>> 
>> "Is everything to your liking?" The lips curled around the rim of the thin rim of the crystal wineglass in a smile of sorts, mockingly sincere. The words pierced the silence like a tumbler breaking into a thousand sharp slivers; for the longest time the two had eaten, the only sound being the clink of metal silverware on fine china plates. 
>> 
>> "It's fine." The words stuck in Jyou's throat, as if he was loathe to admit anything positive about his captor. Staring the Kaizer in the face was an odd sensation; he was still as imperious and commanding as royalty itself, even with the slightly ridiculous costume he wore. Jyou had also noticed the nervous insect-type digimon that scuttled around the Kaizer, half afraid, and half hoping the boy would notice him. 
>> 
>> _Why would he have a digimon? Unless…_ Jyou shook his head, making his jailer's smile widen. _Impossible! He **can't** be one of us! The digimon is just one of his slaves!_
>> 
>> _He can't be…_
>> 
>> "I have a question for you." The tone of voice led to no question of its demanding nature. Still, Jyou found himself regarding the Kaizer with a dark frown on his face. 
>> 
>> "My, aren't we a curious little boy." The words escaped from his mouth before Jyou's mind could catch at them and cram them back through his rebellious lips. Ken's smile turned brittle. 
>> 
>> "For your sake, as my…_guest_," He spit the word as if it was a foul tasting bite of rancid meat. "I'll pretend that I didn't hear you say anything." Jyou had the uncomfortable feeling that he had stuck his hand to close to a smoldering ember just waiting for the slightest pretext to burst into flame. 
>> 
>> "Now, as to my question." The Kaizer paused, waiting for another interruption, and feeling oddly disappointed when there was none forthcoming from his captive. "I am curious; are you one of those children who bore a Crest?" 
>> 
>> Jyou inspected the Kaizer, trying to peel back the layers from the other boy's words and expression. If he was going to win this, he had to use all his skills to read this boy as best he could. Try as he might, though, he couldn't think of any ulterior benefit from the question's answer. The Crests were "outdated" anyway; the older children could only act as guides to the younger, not allowed to participate directly in the struggle this time through. So it wasn't as if he was giving away any secrets the Kaizer might use against his friends. 
>> 
>> "Yes. I had a Crest." 
>> 
>> "Oh, really?" The conversation was taking a sharp turn towards the sublimely ridiculous, speaking of outdated tools as if they were discussing the weather. 
>> 
>> "How do you know about the Crests?" Jyou asked, not really expecting an answer, but feeling as if he should try anyway. 
>> 
>> "I'm the one asking the questions here." Sweet, patronizing, as if he was explaining something to a very small child. Jyou hated that tone of voice with a passion, but struggled to keep his rancor hidden. "But, I suppose I can tell you this much: Isn't it a emperor's duty to know all about his country's affairs? But we're getting off the subject. So, as I recall, each of these crests had attributes. Care to explain which one belonged to you?" 
>> 
>> Jyou's only response was a quiet stare. 
>> 
>> "Ahh, so you wish me to guess. Was it…hmm, "courage". No, I can tell you're not the type. "Friendship"…perhaps, but considering your friends haven't even made a single attempt to get you back, I'd say you're not exactly deeply comradely-inspiring type. "Love"? I have a feeling you have no idea what love even means—" 
>> 
>> "Faith." Jyou cut off the Kaizer's sardonic musings. 
>> 
>> "Hmm, I would have thought "purity"." Ken considered briefly, and decided that faith was the perfect quality for his little toy, after all. It would explain the inner calmness and strength in the depth of his dark eyes; someone with faith would be very hard to bend to your will...but, perhaps, that was why Ken found himself so engaged by the older boy. 
>> 
>> _Has he always been like this? _Ken couldn't help but wonder. Had this self-contained boy in front of him ever been the crybaby type? The cynical type? The person afraid of his own shadow? 
>> 
>> It would be interesting to find out. But for now… 
>> 
>> "Why 'Faith'?" The Kaizer purred, an almost sensual sound. Jyou blinked, confused at the turn the conversation had taken. 
>> 
>> "I…I don't really know…" He finally admitted. 
>> 
>> "Surely you must have _some_ idea." The Kaizer insisted, finding pleasure in his plaything's confusion. "What does faith _mean_, exactly? Faith in others? Faith in the powers-that-be? Faith in…yourself?" 
>> 
>> Jyou flinched as if he had been slapped. The Kaizer filed that little tidbit away in the corner of his mind, to be brought up at a later date. 
>> 
>> "I don't know." A faint whisper. _I don't know_. 
>> 
>> Something to be struggled with, to wonder about. Everyone else, despite any outward doubts, _knew_ what their crests were supposed to mean. The all had discovered that in the end, they had been chosen correctly. No uncertainty as to what they meant. 
>> 
>> All, except for him. He knew that none of the others had spent their nights awake puzzling over what their crest was supposed to represent…searching, trying to comprehend what part of him that was supposed to make this power bloom. 
>> 
>> Did it mean never being able to cry, no matter how much you wanted to? Did you have to put on a brave front when all others were beaten down? 
>> 
>> In the end, Jyou supposed, he had accepted it because he was at a loss as to what he should do…over what would happen it he had hurled the thing far away, what he had longed to do countless times, countless nights. 
>> 
>> It was fitting that its symbol should be a cross. Faith was a heavy burden to lay across one's shoulders. 
>> 
>> "I'm done eating." Jyou pushed the plate away from him in a swift movement, jostling the table as he stood up. He strode from the room in firm, nearly running, steps, with no backwards glance to ascertain his captor's reaction to his sudden departure. 
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> A few quick keystrokes, and the dark towers shot forth from the ground miles away. The Kaizer smirked, envisioning the look of utter fear on that particular sector's inhabitants as the very atmosphere took on an air of darkness. Amazing what a few keystrokes could do…amazing what power a young boy could wield in a world like this one. 
>> 
>> But now, it was time to go back to being a little boy. Time to stop the game and go back to the real world. 
>> 
>> The inevitable return grew more difficult with each passing day. 
>> 
>> The boy known as the Digimon Kaizer stood up from his throne. 
>> 
>> "Ken-chan…are you leaving?" Sometimes it was all too easy to forget about his digimon moping about him like his own shadow. Ken didn't dignify the question with a response; it should be obvious. It was never good to pay too much attention to them anyway. All they did was stare up at you with those disturbingly large and liquid eyes, pleading for things you couldn't…wouldn't give to them. 
>> 
>> They were all insects, to be ground into pulp under his heel. Hurting others is the only way to stop the pain. Make them feel like you do – make them feel _worse_ than you. That way, you can finally triumph over those bitter memories. Spit in his face. You don't need him anymore; never needed him in the first place. You're _superior_ to him! 
>> 
>> Then why won't he leave you alone? 
>> 
>> *** 
>> 
>> The mighty dictator, miraculously transformed into a mere boy once more. Power stripped away almost forcefully, painfully. Ken stepped away from the computer. A quick check outside his room found the dinner his mother usually left for him, now cold and completely unappetizing. Not that he would have eaten it anyway. 
>> 
>> He turned back to the computer screen, feeling something almost like…well, _sure_ he had never stayed overnight in the Digital World, but he was positive nothing would happen to his precious plaything. 
>> 
>> _But you don't **know**, do you? _He beat the weak voice down with logic; cold, hard…heart numbing…facts. The voice was unusually persistent tonight, however, crawling over and over, buzzing until he almost couldn't stand it, as he got ready for bed. 
>> 
>> _The Digital World is different now…his body isn't here in the real world. What if he can't adapt? You don't want to be responsible for **killing** someone…_
>> 
>> Don't think about it. Think about something else. 
>> 
>> He slid between the cool sheets, letting the familiar surroundings lull him out of this sudden attack of conscience. His room seemed to twist in the dark, things reaching out to grab him and drag him down to…who knew where. Little things, crowding in his head, grabbing the attention he refused to give them during the day. 
>> 
>> And then… 
>> 
>> _Would anyone notice if you were gone?_
>> 
>> Those same words, a question that couldn't be driven away. Because he was the one asking it; it was his turn to lie on the chilling white sheets and wonder over the voice that echoed from the darkness around him like a monster. 
>> 
>> Only when he finally admitted the answer, did that voice let him sleep. Another dark secret to bury deep inside where no-one would ever get close enough to discover it. 
>> 
>> Like a fallen seraph, with two bloody stumps where his wings had been so long ago, as he slept curled tightly into himself. 
>> 
>>   

>> 
>> _tsuzuku_
> 
> __   
__   
__


	4. Part Three

faith03

**Faith Lost – Part Three**

> > "He's not really a bad person." The voice was pleading, as if everything depended on Jyou's faith in the truth of what this quiet digimon said. There were many ways Jyou could answer; the first thing that came to his mind was a bitterly sarcastic retort...and yet, somehow, gazing into the fervent crystal-blue eyes of this strange little creature, he couldn't make the acrid words pass his lips.
>> 
>> Sometimes, belief is all you have to keep you going.
>> 
>> Whisper it to yourself enough times, and someday it might be true.
>> 
>> Suffer the silence, the pain...he's not really like that even if he acts in such a manner.
>> 
>> The two sat underneath the stars, wind whipping through the human's hair as the fortress journeyed across the night sky, a black and silent behemoth. The door to the top of the citadel hadn't been locked, and Jyou, mindful of the Kaizer's rules, had taken the chance to escape from that hellhole commonly known as his room. He had found himself being followed by the strange digimon he had seen earlier, but did nothing to discourage his little spy.
>> 
>> Amazingly, Jyou finally found himself responding. "No, I don't think he really is." And even more astoundingly, meaning his words. The few pieces of the puzzle the Kaizer had inadvertently given him were coming together in a very unique picture of the young man. It was like straining through a thick soupy mist to see the true outline of something...something that might not even be there in the first place.
>> 
>> "Aren't you cold?" The digimon was speaking again, pausing between each word almost as if he expected physical blows for his pains. The night air was chilly, but Jyou didn't feel like going down to his room quite yet.
>> 
>> "No, I'd like to stay up here a little longer."
>> 
>> ***
>> 
>> Ken tapped his foot impatiently, making a dull thudding sound against the floor. His teacher sighed in irritation, but made no further attempt to find out where the noise was coming from. Actually, Ken usually took a sort of sadistic pleasure out of school; he enjoyed grinding his fellow students' noses in the dust. He always knew the correct answer, and even though he was never overt about it, there was an air of pity emanating from him after an embarrassed classmate sat down and he was finally called upon.
>> 
>> Pathetic.
>> 
>> Today was different, however. Instead of deriving any sort of enjoyment from his surroundings, he was antsy...impatient. A few of the other students had noticed, and a collective whisper was spreading like an out of control forest fire in the back of the classroom.
>> 
>> Let them talk.
>> 
>> He had more important things to worry about.
>> 
>> _Worry? Where had that come from?_
>> 
>> Ken never worried. He was always sure of himself. Better to say he had more important things to do, rather than muse over what might have happened to his toy in his absence. After all, there were always his plans for this afternoon…
>> 
>> Ken smiled to himself as he thought about what he had carefully tucked away in his satchel. He had seen it while walking to school that morning and had bought it on a whim. That whim had blossomed under time into a beautifully subtle plan.
>> 
>> He was being surprisingly hedonistic, Ken finally decided, before firmly stopping his impatient tapping—much to the frazzled teacher's relief—and sitting quietly.
>> 
>> The model student. Even if his mind was elsewhere.
>> 
>> _Kido Jyou...ka?_
>> 
>> He had a name now…not that he would use it, but it was fun to roll of his tongue silently. For some reason he couldn't fathom, it seemed beautiful.
>> 
>> Like a fine crystal goblet. All you had to do was discover the proper breaking point, and it would shatter into a thousand pieces.
>> 
>> ***
>> 
>> "Taidaima." It was an empty custom he followed as he walked through the door. Quite frankly, he didn't really care it his parents knew he was home or not. It was just something that expended little energy and made his life flow a little bit smoother in return.
>> 
>> On the way up to his room, his mother accosted him. She smiled at him nervously, like one would approach a wild animal, and for some odd reason it irked him today. Now she was probably going to insipidly question him about his day.
>> 
>> He couldn't understand her; both his parents had what they wanted right? If they wanted to know how he was doing in school, they could just as easily wait for his report card or call his teachers. For so long, their entire focus had been on his studies, or other things to make them proud, that he found it a bit hard to believe they might actually care about what else he might be doing.
>> 
>> Ken shook her off with a few curt answers before continuing to his room and locking the door to prevent any further interruptions.
>> 
>> A few moments later, he was on his way to his world.
>> 
>> ***
>> 
>> To the Kaizer's surprise, Jyou was not in his room. For a brief second, a surge of some sort of emotion ran through him. He'd be hard pressed to put a label to it, so he didn't even bother, telling himself it wasn't even important.
>> 
>> Just call it irritation.
>> 
>> That out of the way, he pressed a button on his consol to turn on his viewscreen. There was no place in the citadel that could be hidden from his sight, and he located his plaything in a few moments.
>> 
>> He was on the very top of the fortress, right next to the door that led to an outside balcony.
>> 
>> He wasn't moving.
>> 
>> It was odd, but in that moment, the Kaizer felt something like helpless fury. He was unsure of something for once, not knowing if his toy was hurt, sleeping, or...even dead.
>> 
>> Not even bothering to alert Wormmon to his presence, he stalked up to the top of the stairwell and wrenched the door open, noting the chilling wind blowing in the back of his mind. The opening of the door hadn't been enough to awaken his plaything—at this distance, the Kaizer could see his chest rising and falling gently.
>> 
>> And his fury grew.
>> 
>> How _dare _he?!
>> 
>> How _dare_ he cause the slightest doubt in the Kaizer's plans?!
>> 
>> How _dare_ he, a lowly insect, make the Kaizer feel con—
>> 
>> And Ken cut off his thoughts right there.
>> 
>> ***
>> 
>> "He's back in his room, Ken-chan..."
>> 
>> The Kaizer turned to face his digimon, something inwardly pleased at the wince of fear that came into its eyes. That's what was so wonderful about his digimon. Not that much was, after all he was just an insect. Certainly not worthy of someone who planned on conquering the whole Digital World.
>> 
>> But at the same time, it was almost sinfully easy to keep him off balance.
>> 
>> The Kaizer smirked.
>> 
>> "Thank you, Wormmon."
>> 
>> Amazing what the barest hint of praise would do. The punishments brought Wormmon constrained to him in the closest binding possible. He'd never betray him; if he did that, then any chance of scanty praise reaching him would be forever silenced.
>> 
>> Love and hate.
>> 
>> Such interesting bonds to utilize.
>> 
>> The Kaizer didn't say anything else as he turned back to the monitor, pressing a few buttons in a seemingly random order.
>> 
>> Playtime.
>> 
>> ***
>> 
>> "I see you're finally awake. Any particular reason for your choice in bedding places?" As usual, Ken's voice filled the dark room, like the rise and ebb of waves.
>> 
>> "I don't like my room." Jyou responded, deciding to try being instantly on the offensive. He'd given something away at dinner last night, and he didn't know exactly what the Kaizer planned to do with the information.
>> 
>> "My, I must say that I've never had such a picky guest before..."
>> 
>> "Let's dispense with the formalities, please. What do you want?"
>> 
>> "Oh, I just wanted to inform you that you were wrong." There was crinkling sound from the very walls, as if a giant was opening his daily newspaper. "You made the front page. Shall I read you the article?"
>> 
>> "Go ahead." Jyou couldn't stop the pounding of his heart, hope making him dizzy like too much red wine.
>> 
>> "Kido Jyou did not return home from school yesterday. Police have not ruled out foul play or kidnapping, though there has been no ransom note found. It is also believed he might be a runaway..." Ken continued with the article, stopping only to inform Jyou that his picture did him no justice.
>> 
>> The boy known as the Digimon Kaizer grinned darkly as he watched his monitor, inwardly chuckling at the hope registered on the other boy's face. Giving a person hope, then slowly extracting a tiny particle day by day...the newspapers would do it for him. Ken made a mental note to make sure reading the news was a part of their daily playtime from now on.
>> 
>> After all, today he was on the front page. Tomorrow, perhaps the second. Then as a week went by, buried deeper and deeper into that paper tomb. Like lowering a coffin into a grave.
>> 
>> ***
>> 
>> _He made me worry..._
>> 
>> For some odd reason, the thought returned unbidden to his mind as the Kaizer surveyed his domain from his desolate vantage point.   
  
  
  

>> 
>> _tsuzuku_


End file.
